I just kept thinking "don't crash!"
I didn't get hurt on my Mountain Bike ride, I didn't even fall or crash once. I didn't need to go to the doctors or the hospital. However, for the past two weeks I didn't have Health Insurance, and I live in the United States. While working in Antarctica a letter came in the mail saying that due to income changes I will no longer be covered under my current health insurance plan and I need to take action now to keep coverage... Well being 7,000 miles away with very limited internet (think dial up, but worse with very high costs...) and not knowing that letter even came in the mail, I lost my coverage. To be honest I didn't even know I was uninsured until I was home for a few days because going though my mail was like 5th on my list.
First on my list of things to do was go Snowboarding! I had a great time; I was bombing down the hills at speed, making turns, and feeling good. I remember the stomach dropping feeling opening the letter to find out I was no longer insured and thinking to that day snowboarding. I don't know if I would have gone if I'd known. A simple thing like a broken wrist would have put me in debt for years to come.
I immediately sorted out my insurance to get coverage again... But coverage wouldn't start for 2 weeks. What should I do? Sit at home to avoid injury or continue my life as normal, as an adventure sport enthusiast? I decided to continue living my life and try not to dwell too much on it. For the most part it worked. I went river surfing a bunch, I went Onewheeling, I did a fun high water down-river SUP run, and I went Mountain Biking. I had fun doing everything but the Mountain Biking.
Photo by Randy Fisher
Onewheeling at 13mpr in the snow
That Mountain Bike ride was the worst Mountain Bike ride I've ever had, worse that the one last year where I wrecked over the handlebars, smashed my hand into a rock and had a finger sticking out at a 90degree angle. The entire ride I just kept thinking: "don't wreck," "don't smash your face up," "don't break your arm," "don't break a collar bone," "don't even dislocate your finger." I was peddling at a snails pace and walking over any rocky bit until finally i threw in the towel and went home. It really got me thinking how people cope without health insurance in the states?
It's common knowledge that the United States has some major issues when it comes to Health Insurance and coverage. Not only is the costs of procedures and medications and even a simple doctor's visit astronomical, but trying to get health insurance is often out of reach for people because of the high premiums. This leads to over 32 million people uninsured.
I know the feeling I had the two weeks I was without coverage and it really got me wondering about those 32 million people. Surely out of those 32 million there are some sports and adventure enthusiasts, how do they cope knowing if they get hurt they are screwed? Do they try to ignore this fact and live their life or do they change their lifestyle?
When will the US catch up to the rest of the developed world and get universal health care so these questions aren't ones we have to deal with?